[DeaducK]

Hi,

I just started living in Canada. Back home in Bangladesh watching movies online from the internet was no big deal. I heard that in Canada distribution is illegal, but actually watching it online is not. Is this true?

I would really like a reply from someone who is completely sure, because I googled, and got tons of varying opinions from ppl.

Also, I've already seen a couple of movies. Should I be worried, because if it is illegal, I did break the law.

And, if streaming and watching is illegal, is watching it on torrent then legal? or is that illegal too?

Thanks

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Anyone knows the answer???????

[DeaducK]

Anyone knows the answer???????

[frantique]

A google search brought up this response in a Canadian DVD forum to your question. As I have no knowledge of Canadian Law I take no responsibility for the correctness of the response, however, as the person suggested you could google as he advised.

In Canada it is legal to download, make copies of media and record from TV for personal use only. You can't share / upload / sell the works that you have obtained without express permission of the copyright owner.

SO: You can make a backup copy of the 300DVD you purchased (or all 300 DVD's for that matter). You CAN also copy DVD's from Blockbuster for personal use. You CAN download from FTP and IRC, but you CANNOT (well... not allowed under Canada's copyright legislation) download through Torrents, because technically the torrent clients upload at the same time as you download the files; and you can not distribute copyright protected materials in whole or in part.

All this personal use stuff off the internet is allowed because Canada's copyright laws do not specify the source from which you can make copies of work that are protected by the copyright law. They can be CD's, DVD's, FTP, TV, IRC, ETC (sorry ).

This is reinforced by the fact that we pay a copyright levy on all blank storage medium that we purchase. CDs, DVDs, MP3 players, Flash Chips, Hard Drives, the works. The levy goes into a fund to compensate artists for the personal use copying that people do in Canada. You pay this levy even if you are putting your own original content on the medium (pictures, family videos, etc).

So don't worry about having to get around the pesky copy-protection mechanisms on your DVDs. You are perfectly within your rights to make personal copies.

If you get sued I'm not taking responsibility though haha
The above is my interpretation of the opinion of the Copyright Board of Canada which has yet to be tested in court.
As I am not allowed to post links, just google the following: downloading+legal+canada

[Murray S.]

Howdy:

Maybe I can help clarify here..

The keyword is "TV". You can record anything that comes through on your television without worry of violating the copyright laws in Canada due to the levy we pay for all recording media sold in Canada.

We are also allowed to download music from the internet for the same reasons. We CANNOT have that downloaded material available for upload. That would constitute piracy as it is no longer for "your personal use".

Downloading copywritten movies, software, etc via the net is still illegal in Canada and you can be charged for that.

Murray